A Lonely Night
by rain-it-shall
Summary: While Edward is away hunting, a ferocious storm passes through Forks in the night. The storm frightens Bella and brings back the feelings of abandonment she thought she had repressed. Set sometime inbetween New Moon and Eclipse. Oneshot. review please


The wind howled, the house shook, the rain cascaded, and the thunder boomed as the common, harmless summer storm progressed into something frightening and intimidating. I lay huddled on my bed in the dark, my arms and legs twisted in the blanket that was clutched tightly in both my hands. I tried to avoid looking out my window and seeing the ferocious storm, but I couldn't help but stealing quick glances when the blinding lightning strikes crackled and filled my senses.

I had woken up in the middle of the night, a little after 1:30, to the sound of the storm outside. It scared me. I'm not sure why it did, seeing as how I'd never felt any fear towards them…until now. Maybe it was because I was alone in my bed tonight, Edward having gone hunting with Jasper and Emmett that made the storm seem so threatening. Or perhaps it was because it was dark and so late at night…But whatever the reason, I was terrified. And what I wanted most right now was to have Edward here and for him to hold me safely and securely in his stone, protective arms. He would keep me safe from this oddly frightening storm. He would tell me everything was going to be fine. He would say how silly I was for overreacting to this trivial event of nature, and then pledge his love for me, which I would happily return.

I lay in bed like that, all curled in on myself, for a little while, fantasizing about Edward and calming my nerves down. My imaginative Edward was right-I _was_ being silly. This was just a storm. These things happened all the time. Why was I so frightened? I should have been able to fall back asleep, worry free, as soon as this troublesome storm had awaken me. But yet here I am, freaking out and trembling with fright…

I was losing the battle with my nerves, and I knew it. The fear was beating the calm façade I tried to pretend was present. Just then, another ear-splitting explosion of thunder erupted outside. I squeezed my eyes closed and unconsciously tightened my grip on my quilt. Three more peals of thunder followed the first, with a flash of lightening not far behind. A single tear escape my lid and rolled down my cheek, over my chin, and landed on my neck. I didn't bother to wipe it away because that would mean that I would have to let go of my makeshift life support--the blanket.

I wallowed in my fright and let the tears come freely now from my eyes. Impssibly, I held onto the blanket tighter and my knuckles throbbed in pain. Strangely, I didn't seem to be worried about the storm developing into a tornado or causing a flash flood, or even the merciless wind toppling Charlie's house down…and that just confused me further, because what then, was I so afraid of?

My thoughts of impending doom reminded me of Charlie. _Charlie. _I'm sure if the storm was really serious, he'd know and come and save me. Right? I thought so. I hoped so. More snaps of thunder and flashes of lightening continued on outside, but I was trying my best to ignore them.

I briefly considered calling Edward's cell and asking him to please come home, or at the very least, just to hear his reassuring, velvet voice. His wonderful voice would be a welcoming and pleasant contrast to the hideous sounds coming from the storm. But I didn't want him to come home and abandon his hunting trip just because I was too much of a coward to handle this stupid storm myself. I didn't want him to think I was entirely dependent on him and that I couldn't do anything for myself, especially since he had just returned from his incredibly long and heart breaking absence no more than a few weeks ago. I wanted to prove to him that I wasn't completely pathetic without him…besides, he needed to hunt. He had been hurting and starving himself just to stay with me.

But still, the storm was scary.

Then I grew frustrated and slightly angry because surely Alice, Edward's sister, could see me sobbing and sitting here wide awake, and so she would come and be with me in Edward's place. But Alice was not here.

It wasn't like Alice to not be keeping an eye on me. Lately it seemed like she was monitoring my every step. I knew it was childish, but I felt kind of...lonely at the idea that she wasn't seeing me now. Wasn't she concerned at all that I was scared? So scared, in fact, that I was crying and silently praying for Edward to miraculously appear at my window?

And then…did that mean that Edward wasn't concerned either? If he truly was worried or thinking about me at all, he would have rushed back home to make sure I was safe from this storm. Where _was_ he?

I was vaguely aware that I was just digging myself a very large hole with my nonsensical musings, but I couldn't stop. This feeling of loneliness and abandonment would just not disappear. Did something happen to Edward? Or, worse yet, did he just use this hunting trip as an excuse to not-so-subtly leave me again?

Another round of booms and flashes started up outside, only fueling my moroseness. The tears were coming fast and unrelentingly now, and I was pretty sure that I was shaking as well. Edward had promised that he would never leave me again, but here, in my dark bedroom all alone, with a terrifying storm just outside my window, it seemed very obvious that he had left me again. Left me alone.

_Alone._

Sobs wracked my body now, and I did not care. I yanked my quilt tighter around my body, which suddenly seemed to be very cold, despite the droplets of sweat collecting on my forehead. My sobs would be muted by the thunder outside, and Charlie would never know that I was in here crying. I could fall to pieces in peace, then. And those pieces weren't just pieces, no they were very quickly becoming ragged bits of myself being torn and ripped away. Oh, how I longed for Edward. But it seems that he would never be mine. Ever.

Just when I thought he _did_ love me, and had come back for good, _this_ happened.

I don't know how long I lay there for, tears streaming down my face. The storm only gaining more momentum as time went on. The murderous booms of thunder were definitely not helping the situation.

"_Bella?!"_

W-What was that? It sounded like…Edward. But it couldn't be, because he left me. _Again. _

But then, surprisingly, the next thing I knew those strong, protective arms that I loved so much wrapped around my torso and rubbed franticly up and down my arms. They pulled me into a sitting position, causing the tears to spill forth more rapidly now. I was sitting in a very familiar lap, being rocked.

"Bella, what _happened_?" that rich, velvet voice whispered. The voice sounded very strained and upset.

I turned around in the cold arms and peered into those golden eyes, which fortunately were not completely shadowed by the darkness in my bedroom.

"E-Edward?" I asked, choking on a sob on the way out.

"Yes, love, it's me. I'm here. Shh. Relax. Tell me what happened?" he said, his voice growing more curious and worried with each passing of a new second.

I crushed myself to his chest, ignoring the slight pain caused by the uncomfortable way my body was now positioned. I sobbed recklessly into his t-shirt, which smelled of rain and forest.

It was Edward. He was here. In my room, with his arms around me. He hadn't left after all. I was wrong, very much so. I felt so weak and embarrassed about my previous assumptions, and a slight blush rose to my cheeks. It was a good thing he couldn't read my mind, because if he could, he would probably be incredibly hurt that I thought he had left me again.

I couldn't speak yet, too overwhelmed with emotion. Edward just held and rocked me and patted my hair and kissed the top of my head while I let the last of the tears fall from my sore eyes.

Finally, when I was sure my voice would be stable, I lifted my head and stared into his eyes. I brought my hand up to caress his cheek, just making sure that he was really here and I wasn't imaging this.

"Please, tell me what happened, Bella," he pleaded.

"I-I…the storm scared me." I chickened out. I didn't want him to know the extent of my problems.

"The storm? I'm so sorry, Bella. If I had known you didn't like them I would have returned much sooner. I'm sorry."

"No…no it's fine. It wasn't really the storm itself, exactly." I tried to reassure him that it wasn't his fault, because, technically, it wasn't. And I didn't want him feeling guilty.

His expression twisted with curiosity and confusion, silently prompting me for more information.

I shook my head.

"I think if I tell you it will make you sad."

"I would still like to know. Please, Bella. If something made you this upset, let me know what it is so I can prevent it from occurring again."

I decided to just be brutally honest with him now and take whatever consequence I received from that choice.

"I woke up, and you weren't there. I knew where you were, but still, I was worried. The storm seemed more frightening…and, and it made me feel lonely. I thought you had left me again," I summed up.

The tears were gathering in my eyes again with the remembrance of how I felt, but I blinked them back and cleared my throat.

He stared at me, shocked, for a few minutes before he was able to compose himself. The dark made it impossible to make out his expression. I couldn't tell if he was angry or sad or hurt by what I had just revealed to him.

I figured that he probably felt a bit betrayed. I had assured him countless times that I would be okay if he left for awhile. That I knew that he wouldn't _really_ leave again. That he was here for good.

He gently brushed his cool fingertips across my cheekbones and his eyes penetrated into mine.

"_Bella," _He sighed, "How much is it going to take for me to convince you that I will never leave you again? If I have to go away on a hunting trip or what-have-you, I will always come back to you. You are my everything, Bella, and I will not make the same mistake twice. I almost lost you once, and there is absolutely no way that I'm going to let that happen again."

Tears blurred my vision again, but not because of sadness this time, but of happiness. I smashed my lips to his, joining them to create a very gentle and loving but passionate kiss. All of our emotions-happiness, relief, joy, satisfaction, and, most importantly, love, flowed down to our connected lips and into each other's body, showing one another what we felt.

I could revel in this kiss and enjoy the moment. For even though outside the thunder wailed and the lightning cracked, and my dried tears were very much in evidence on my cheeks, Edward was here, and as long as that were true, nothing else mattered.


End file.
